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Bird Radio Project (fwd)



Ted Simons at N.C. State is looking for volunteers with point count and/or 
BBS experience to help with a new research project.  See below for more 
information and please reply to Ted if you're interested in participating.  

------- Forwarded message follows -------
From:           	"Ted Simons" <tsimons@ncsu.edu>
Subject:        	Bird Radio Project
Date sent:      	Fri, 13 Jun 2003 10:59:49 -0400

Ken Pollock and I are beginning a new research project to assess point
count methods used to census birds.  With the help of an engineer friend
of mine (John Wettroth) and engineering students at NCSU, we have
developed a system for simulating census conditions when most birds are
identified by sound, for example most BBS routes.  The system uses a
laptop computer and radio signals to control a set of player/speaker
devices that can be placed at known locations around a census point.
With the system we will be able to realistically simulate and quantify a
known population of songbirds, vary a range of factors that affect
detection probabilities, and then evaluate the performance of various
field and analytical methods.  We would also like to investigate the
potential for using tablet computers to collect field data.  In the near
future these devices will make it feasible to automate some aspects of
time and distance estimation, and reduce data transcription errors.  

We anticipate that our analyses will provide field biologists and
natural resource managers with a clearer understanding of the biases and
precision of current sampling methods, and the improvements that would
be expected if additional information needed to estimate detection
probabilities is collected (various combinations of distance, multiple
observers, and time of detection information).  Our goal is to find new
applications of theory and sampling methodologies that will result in
practical improvements in the quality of bird census data.

We are just completing the construction of the hardware and we would
like to conduct some pilot field experiments in early July.  Our initial
goal is to have 5-10 observers conduct approximately 30 3-minute
simulated point counts during an initial field test.  I'm writing to ask
if you would be willing to assist with these initial experiments?  This
would involve a time commitment of one or two mornings during the first
two weeks of July.  Don't worry.. the results will be strictly
confidential!  I think it will be fun and I know the results will
contribute to better bird census data.  Please let me know if you're
interested in participating, and also if you know of other people
locally with census experience (particularly BBS).  

The field work will probably continue for the next several years so if
you are not available this summer there will be lots of opportunities to
get involved in the future.  Our first major data collection effort will
probably take place in the late fall, after migration but before the
leaves have dropped. We will need observers for help with these
experiments, but we would also appreciate your insights as someone with
census experience and an interest in how data are applied to management
questions to help us ask the right questions when we design these
experiments. Thanks very much.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Ted

Ted Simons
Cooperative Research Unit
Department of Zoology
Box 7617 NCSU
Raleigh, NC 27695
919-515-2689
919-515-4454 Fax
tsimons@ncsu.edu
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~simons

------- End of forwarded message --------- 
Charles W. "Will" Cook                  w 919-660-7423
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook            cwcook@duke.edu
Box 90340, Biology Dept., Duke Univ., Durham, NC 27708